Homework Policy.
Homework Policy.
Homework Policy.
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Rationale
At FLHS, homework is viewed as a valuable part of a student’s learning. We believe that effective homework can improve learning and help our students to develop lifelong skills. Our aim is for homework to be structured, meaningful and coherent for all concerned. Homework at FLHS should broaden, consolidate, extend or enhance the learning experience.
The purpose of Homework
- Setting homework is part of the Teachers’ Standards and is outlined in the following way: ‘Teachers should set homework and plan other out-of-class activities to consolidate and extend the knowledge and understanding pupils have acquired.’
- Homework should be used to consolidate learning of the curriculum, deepen understanding and prepare pupils for further study in the future.
- Homework requires lifelong learning skills such as organisation, time management, resilience and independence, all of which we promote at FLHS in order to help our students to live their ‘BEST’ lives at FLHS and beyond.
- To provide parents with the chance to support their child’s progress and engage in dialogue about school experiences
How homework will be set
Teachers will set homework through ‘Satchel One’. Students will be able to check their homework and deadlines by going into ‘Satchel One’. Parents will receive notification when homework is set via the ‘Satchel One’ app.
The types of homework we will set and why
At FLHS, we endeavour to use evidence-informed practice and research in order to provide the most effective types of homework tasks to enhance our students’ learning experience.
Time to be Spent Completing Homework or self-directed study
Based on current good practice and previous DfE guidance, we endeavour to follow this guidance on the amount of time that we would advise our students to spend on their homework or self-directed study.
These guidelines are listed below:
Year 7 & 8: Approximately 90 minutes per day
Year 9: Approximately 1 – 2 hours per day
Year 10 & 11: Approximately 1.5 – 2.5 hours per day
Pupils may be expected to undertake a variety of homework activities. These activities will differ depending on the teacher and subject. We would also like to highlight that the guidelines may include self-directed study time which we would encourage our students to undertake on a weekly basis to target and embed their individual gaps in knowledge or skill. Effective learning strategies which students could use during their self-directed study time can be seen below:
| Homework activity/tasks could include the following: | How the activities/tasks will help students to become better learners: | |
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‘Language and literacy provide us with the building blocks not just for academic success, but for fulfilling careers and rewarding lives’.( Education Endowment Foundation)Reading helps to improve vocabulary, communication, grammar and writing skills. |
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Spelling tasks help students to be able to spell key words within their subjects correctly. The more practice that students have at spellings, the better chance they have at remembering them. Being able to spell words correctly is something that will help students all through their life. |
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These tasks might require students to demonstrate how well they have understood and learnt key things from their lessons. They might be extended written responses to a question which require students to apply their knowledge and understanding. |
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These are tasks which prompt students to recall/remember key information. The more we encourage students to retrieve information, the more chance we have of it ‘sticking’ and remaining in the long term memory for students to retrieve with ease. |
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Practice makes perfect! Repeatedly practising something eventually helps students to remember and to master something to an excellent standard. |
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GCSEPod is an online resource which contains lots of mini film pods linked to most subjects and key topics. Teachers can use them to test their students, enhance revision and monitor their engagement. Students can self-test, build knowledge and monitor their progress. |
What our students can expect in terms of Feedback
At FLHS we strive to provide timely and purposeful feedback. A variety of methods will be used to provide feedback, such as whole class feedback, verbal feedback, ‘where next?’ feedback and follow-up tasks. Quizzes, spelling tests and numeracy tests will provide pupils with immediate feedback. We may use more extensive, targeted marking on longer tasks which may require written feedback.
Expectations and Support
- Set homework that is appropriate for the age and stage of pupils;
- Set time aside during lessons for homework to be fully explained and questions answered;
- Set homework that aligns with the faculty and whole school homework policy;
- Allow enough time for the homework to be completed to an excellent standard, reminding students to question if the standard of their homework ‘Is excellent yet?’ (This includes avoiding overnight homework whenever possible.)
- Provide additional support with homework if requested by the pupil or parent – for example, paper copies of resources;
- Provide timely and effective feedback. This may involve providing the opportunity for peer assessment or individual reflection on their progress.
- Listen to homework instructions in class and check ‘Satchel One’ daily for homework set and deadlines;
- Complete homework to the best of their ability and hand it in on time;
- Communicate appropriately with the class teacher if they are having any difficulties with the work, well before the deadline.
Discussing homework with their child in order to help and encourage them;
- Checking their child’s homework when it has been completed – insist on high standards of presentation and remind them of our key question: ‘Is it excellent yet?’
- Notifying the school of any issues or problems that may prevent the completion of homework.
Rewards and sanctions
At FLHS, we believe that students should be rewarded for effort and application of their learning at home. That means we will praise continued good effort and reward pupils who apply themselves successfully to the homework set. We will also employ sanctions, where appropriate, for failure to produce what is expected and an opportunity to complete outstanding pieces.
Extra-curricular activities
At FLHS, we offer an extensive programme of extra-curricular opportunities and we would also encourage children to pursue out-of-school activities which will help them to further develop lifelong learning skills. For details on our extra-curricular opportunities, please see our website.
Reviewing the policy
The homework policy will be reviewed annually. Where significant changes to the policy are felt to be required, proposals will be presented to the governing body and parents consulted.
Faculty Homework Policies
For faculty homework policies consult the list below.
